Spaghetti

Hey y'all. Tonight I made spaghetti for dinner. Sounds simple right? Well let me tell you. I'm about to brag a bit because it is freaking delicious. 

Here's the deal. I love to dress up my sauce. Anything that will compliment a tomato flavor usually goes in, in moderation. I've made spaghetti so many times, but I like making it a little differently each time. 

One of my new favorite things is adding steamed vegetables to the sauce. It gives it much more substance and sticks with you longer, plus you're getting vegetables without the overwhelming vegetable taste! Win win people! 

My basic recipe is this: 

1 jar tomato sauce (I've yet to make my own from scratch)               
Garlic salt
Soy sauce                                                                                         Vegetables, your choice
Dried oregano                                                                                     
Splash of hot sauce 
Ground beef/turkey*                                                                           Canned, diced tomatoes* 

1. Add all sauces, salt, and oregano to a pot. I usually will put a little water in the jar and swirl it around to get the excess of the edges. 
*Optional: 
     If you choose to add meat, brown it up and throw it in before the veggies 
     The canned tomatoes (preferably one that's already flavored) adds good tomato chunks and flavor
2. Steam vegetables 
3. Let it simmer until everything else is done. 

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Tonight's veggies were: 
     Red onion 
     Zucchini
     Carrots
     Celery
Steam those for about 5 minutes and add to the pot. I also minced some garlic and added it straight to the sauce. That was one of the first things. I wanted to let it have a chance to warm through and cook down a little. It lends a really robust flavor to the sauce, giving it a bit more depth. (I sound like a real foodie!) 

It does though. Garlic is such a great base flavor that you can expand on with almost anything. That's why I love it. Not to mention I love how it smells and tastes.. 

Back to the sauce. 

Hot sauce? Soy sauce? In a tomato sauce? Oh yes. Soy sauce is my secret ingredient. It gives it a really great undertone. Makes it a bit richer and adds just the right amount of salt. 

I don't always add hot sauce, but if I have it on hand I'll throw a dash in there. Again, the spices from the hot sauce add an extra layer of flavor. 

I like adding strong flavors because tomato sauce is strong on its own. Adding more flavors that will deepen that initial taste is the best. 

This recipe is great because you can make it however you want. I like to brown some turkey with sautéed onions and garlic (of course!) and add that to the sauce with the steamed veggies. Getting a little protein, a little salt, vitamins and minerals from the vegetables...you really can't go wrong! 

Another thing I do is, once the pasta is done cooking, add about a ladle-full to the cooked pasta. Stir that around to coat the pasta. I got that from food network. It helps the sauce on top stick a little better and flavors the pasta just a bit. It works, man. 

After that it's all up to you. I usually serve with a salad and bread. 

Let me know if you make your own sauce. What do you put in there? Are there spices I should try that will bring this to the next level? 

xx Rachel